From Hood River take Highway 35 south for 26 miles. Turn left on Dufur Mill Road (Forest Road 44), drive 9.9 miles to the unpaved (and unmarked) Forest Road 4430, and turn left. Continue straight just a few feet to the well-signed trailhead. NW Forest
2Eightmile Loop Trail #496
From Hood River take Highway 35 south for 26 miles. Turn left on Dufur Mill Road (Forest Road 44), drive 9.9 miles to the unpaved (and unmarked) Forest Road 4430, and turn left. Continue straight just a few feet to the well-signed trailhead. NW Forest
3Eightmile Loop Trail #496
An open meadow along the trail
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An open meadow along the trail
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8Eightmile Loop Trail #496
9Eightmile Loop Trail #496
Riding the loop clockwise (from the upper trailhead sign) results in slightly less climbing. For a longer outing, link up with the intersecting Knebal Springs Trail.
10Eightmile Loop Trail #496
Riding the loop clockwise (from the upper trailhead sign) results in slightly less climbing. For a longer outing, link up with the intersecting Knebal Springs Trail.
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Long views of thousands of green firs greet bikers along the trail
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Long views of thousands of green firs greet bikers along the trail
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The Eightmile Creek winds through the lower portion of the trail.
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The Eightmile Creek winds through the lower portion of the trail.
A favorite of Hood River locals in search of some of spring’s first snow-free spins, this rollicking singletrack circuit in the eastern fringes of the Mount Hood National Forest hits an encore sweet spot come fall. Drizzles and dropping mercury transform dusty trails into “hero dirt”: the gummy, tacky earth that lets knobby tires grip with their intended NASCAR-like tenacity. A relative lack of technical roots and rocks makes the trail an opportune training ground for novices, but speedy descents keep more advanced riders craving another round. So does the scenery: open meadows of wispy, silver-hued grass, iridescent-yellow ponderosa pines, and long views of thousands of green firs morphing into treeless high desert. (The observant may also notice the occasional “rider-improved” features, like log rails and ramps.) The cooling, calming presence of Eightmile Creek on the lower portion of the trail cinches this ride’s charismatic appeal.
